Columbus AC Tips: Keep Your Home Cool and Save Energy

As the season of hot days and long evenings draws near, it is normal for questions to arise on how to keep your home cool and save energy. There are some things that are easy to do, and can help keep your house cool without overusing your Columbus air conditioner.

Easy Fixes Which Cool the House from the Heat of the Sun

• Provide effective shade for east and west facing windows, including planting shade trees around the exterior of the house
• Delay heat-generating activities until evening
• Keep the house closed tight during the day so that unwanted heat and humidity do not enter the home
• Ventilate at night with open windows and fans
• Use ceiling fans or room fans to increase comfort levels with higher air conditioning thermostat settings
• Seal and insulate all air conditioning ducts, and seal leaky windows with caulk or weather stripping
• Install window shades, blinds, awnings, sunscreens, or apply low-e films to windows to block most solar rays, which cause heat gain
• Close south and west-facing curtains during the day on windows that get direct sunlight, and invest in reflective solar curtains
• Upgrade the insulation in the attic
• Service the air conditioning unit annually, and place it in the shade with proper air flow to ensure it runs efficiently
• Install a house fan to cool the entire home at once, (as well as cooling the attic above)

Eliminate Internal Heat Sources

• Lessen stove and oven use during hot days and enjoy a backyard barbeque or cookout, keeping the heat out of the kitchen and in the great outdoors. When cooking inside do so in the evening and employ the use of the microwave, toaster-oven or counter-top grill, which produces far less heat than the stove or oven.
• Switch to newer, compact fluorescent lights, which use less energy and produce far less heat than incandescent lights
• Pass on the hot-drying cycle of the dishwasher and let dishes air dry, or dry them by hand
• Line-dry clothes rather than using the dryer, or use the lowest heat setting on the dryer
• Take shorter showers that are cooler, and turn on exhaust fans and open windows to properly ventilate the area, allowing excess heat to escape
• Turn computers and other electronics off when not in use, and use electronic devices such as TV’s less often throughout the day

Monthly Savings

Combining these various home fixes, while eliminating internal heat sources, can be some of the best ways to keep your home cool and save energy during hot summer months. Just try some and see how that energy bill decreases!

For information about how to save money on your air conditioning in Columbus, give Quality Air Heating and Air Conditioning a call today!